Take Me Away
by alex-of-macedonia
Summary: Why Chloe was late before the Bellas performed at Nationals the first time. TRIGGER WARNING: Eating Disorder


**Disclaimer: I only own the scenario I put the Pitch Perfect characters in.**

**A/N: There is a TRIGGER WARNING in effect for eating disorders. See my notes at the bottom for why I felt this to be an accurate headcanon of sorts.**

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Alice was really hard on the girls, especially Aubrey and Chloe. "You two aren't going to make it at all in this group," was what they heard for two years. "You're a couple of failures and that's all you'll ever be."

For two years, they did their best in practicing and exercising to be the best they could be, but nothing they did was good enough. "You're too fat! You'll never be able to do this routine if you don't lose that extra pudge on your hips, Posen." "Seriously, Beale, who told you looking like you're three months pregnant was a good look on you?"

In the summer between their sophomore and junior years, Aubrey showed Chloe a way to bring down that extra weight. At first they only threw up after eating large dinners as a reward for working hard that day. Soon, though, Aubrey no longer did it to lose weight but did it involuntarily whenever she was stressed, which was all the time, and Chloe did it as a way to calm down, to try and control what little she could.

Something about their new dedication to the Bellas made Alice decide to give at least Aubrey a chance at a solo in the set they performed at Nationals. That was stressful, but she could do it. She could perform this time without needing to release that stress. She could, and she would. She had been okay for the last couple weeks, as long as she did breathing exercises to help with the stress.

Chloe, on the other hand, was too nervous. Their set was starting in ten minutes, and she couldn't take it anymore. She ran to the bathroom, kneeling on the cold tile in front of a toilet. Trembling fingers undid the yellow Bellas scarf from around her neck and tucked it into a pocket in her jacket. Chloe then entered two fingers deep into her mouth, triggering her gag reflex. The reflex worked quickly, and she felt the bile rising up the back of her throat. She gripped the toilet bowl on either side, and let it happen.

A couple minutes later, she wiped off the corners of her mouth with a piece of toilet paper, flushed the contents of the toilet, and hurriedly washed her hands.

/_BUZZ_/ Chloe's cell phone alerted her to a text. «_Chlo! We're on in 2 mins! Where are u?_»

The redhead ran back to backstage, as fast as she could in the heels Alice forced them to wear. She pulled the scarf out as she neared her group, allowing the captain to tie it back into place. "Chloe, you're a mess. Look at you," _tug_ "You're unfocused. You're unreliable. And your breath smells like egg." _tug_ "Like, all the time."

Chloe stopped listening. It didn't matter what Alice said to her anymore. She felt calmer about performing, and after they won tonight, she and Aubrey would have full control.

She tuned back in to the older woman asking Aubrey if her dad ever told her to shut up. She glanced at her best friend, checking to see if she was okay. Knowing how the blonde's nerves were, it would be terrible if her problem… came up… on stage. Aubrey gave her a look that said she was fine, but Chloe had a bad feeling.

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**Ending A/N: So I've seen in the reviews both on here and on tumblr that people think Chloe is too bubbly of a person to go through dealing with something like this.**

**1. YOU NEVER KNOW WHO MIGHT HAVE AN EATING DISORDER. Just as people who suffer from depression or who self harm can put on a happy face and fool everyone around them, so can people who suffer from ED.**

**2. Re-watch the first two minutes of Pitch Perfect. Chloe's face is anything but calm, especially when being talked to by Alice. The first time we see an actual smile on her face is when she gives an encouraging one to Aubrey right before she starts her solo. The verbal abuse that we see from Alice is assuredly only the tip of the iceberg compared to what she would throw at them on a daily basis.**

**3. My belief on why Chloe seems to be okay for the rest of the film is the fact that she isn't under Alice's thumb anymore. Sure, Aubrey is a tough captain, and kind of a bitch and a bad friend at times, but she wouldn't treat Chloe in the same way Alice did, and she knows it. Plus, she met Beca, and "Beca makes us better."**


End file.
